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all to bear upon the pursuits of the scholar; to enable, in short, men of
letters all over the world to give a helping hand to one another. To a
certain extent, we have accomplished this end. Our last number contains
communications not only from all parts of the metropolis, and from almost
every county in England, but also from Scotland, Ireland, Holland, and even
from Demerara. This looks well. It seems as if we were in a fair way to
accomplish our design. But much yet remains to be done. We have recently
been told of whole districts in England so benighted as never to have heard
of "NOTES AND QUERIES;" and after an interesting question has been
discussed for weeks in our columns, we are informed of some one who could
have answered it immediately if he had seen it. So long as this is the case
the advantage we may confer upon literature and literary men is necessarily
imperfect. We do what we can to make known our existence through the
customary modes of announcement, and we gratefully acknowledge the kind
assistance and encouragement we derive from our brethren of the public
press; but we would respectfully solicit {354} the assistance of our
friends this particular point. Our purpose is aided, and our usefulness
increased by every introduction which can be given to our paper, either to
a Book Club, to a Lending Library, or to any other channel of circulation
amongst persons of inquiry and intelligence. By such introductions scholars
help themselves as well as us, for there is no inquirer throughout the
kingdom who is not occasionally able to throw light upon some of the
multifarious objects which are discussed in our pages.

At the end of our first twelvemonth we thank our subscribers for the
patronage we have received. We trust we shall go on week by week improving
in our work of usefulness, so that at the end of the next twelvemonth we
may meet them with the same pleasure as on the present occasion. We will
continue to do whatever is in our power, and we rely upon our friends to
help us.

* * * * *

SHAKSPEARE'S USE OF THE WORDS "CAPTIOUS" AND "INTENIBLE."

In the following passage of _All's Well that Ends Well_, Act i. Sc. 3.,
where Helena is confessing to Bertram's mother, the Countess, her love for
him, these two words occur in an unusual sense, if not in a sense peculiar
to the great poet:--

"I love your son:--
My friends were poor, but honest,